Conduit coupling



Dec. 1o, 1929. H K, SWENEY 1,739,472

CONDUIT COUPLING Filed Deo. 51, 1927 31a/venlo@ iff-ahy E S11/eng.

Patented Dec; 10, 1929 HABRYvK. SWENEY, F EVANSYILLE, WYOMING CON DUITCOUPLING Application led December 31, 1927. Serial No. 243,961.

fIhis invention relates to improvements in conduit couplings, moreespecially, tothat type of coupling set forth in my United StatesLetters Patent numbered 1,475,150 and 1,652,064, constituting animprovement therevover in that it provides a coupling advantageous foruse in connection with the sections of cement 0r other plastic conduits,allowing for expansion or contraction of the sections withoutdetrimentally aecting the j eiciency of the coupling or joint, as wellas a. certain degree of relative movement between the sections due tothe settling of the same in a trench or other bed, and additionally,permits of a quicker and more simple. assembly and connection of theparts, allowing the joint, if needs be, to be eected by -unskilledlabor. l

Itis also an object of the invention to 'pro-' vide a conduit couplingutilizing intertitting members, the cofunctioning ends of which areconstructed in a manner to permit of pivotal movement between the samewithout a'ecting the liquid tight character thereof, while means areengaged with said ends in a manner to insure the positive connectiontherebetween against relative longitudinal movement and at the sametime, draw such ends into positive interengagement. j

Other objects of the invention will be in part obvious and in partpointed out hereinafter.

In order that the invention and its mode of operation may be readilyunderstood by those skilled in the art to which it appertains, I have inthe accompanying illustrative drawings and in the detailed followingdescrlption based thereupon, set out one possible embodiment of theinvention.

In these drawin s:

Figure 1 is a ragmentary long1tudinal section through a sectional cementcondult wherein the adjacent ends of said conduitare coupled orinterconnected through the medium of the improved joint,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary detail in longitudinal section showing theinterengaged yparts of the joint and the clamping ring therefor slightlyenlarged, and 5, Figure 3 is an end elevation of the improved splitclamping lring employed in connection with the invention.

I-Iaying more particular reference tothe drawings, in connection withwhich like characters of reference will designate corresponding partsthroughout, the improved coupllng is particularly adapted for usage 1nconnection with cement or other plastic conduits or culverts indicatedfor convenl1en ce at this time by the numerals 1 and 2,'the 60 adjacentends of said conduits 1 and 2 or rather the sections, having sleeve likemembers or collars 3 and 4 embedded therein, the embedded extremities ofsaid collars bing formed with annular flanges 5 through w ich 65 lanchoror tie rods 6 are passed that the respective collars 3 or'4 engagedthereby will be positively retained in fixed relation or 0- sition withrespect to their particular con uit sections; nuts or other suitablelocking or connecting devices 7 being turned into engagement with thescrew threaded extremities of said rods 6 which are passed throughopenings in the several annular flanges 5.

A portion of each of the collars 3 and 4 eX- 75. tends from the end ofthe conduit section 1 or 2 receiving the same and upon the extendedportion of the collar or sleeve ylike member 3 there is formed anenlarged bearing portion 8, the outer face or surface of which is curved0r semi-spherical; the outer extremity or marginal portion of said endof the collar 3 being feathered or tapered as is indicated by thenumeral 9 because of the formation of said semi-spherical surface uponvthe enlarged portion 8.

The collar orsleeve like member 4 has its; particular extend portionformed with an enlarged annular skirt or substantially bell likeextension designated by the numeral 10, said portion being curvedtransversely Vas indicated in the Figures 2 and 3, ,and having thedegree of curvature of its inner peripheral surface corresponding tothat of the curved bearing surfaceY upon the outer peripheral portion ofthe enlarged part 8, hence, paralleling the same with reception of theenlarged 'portion 8 therein in the manner as is shown -in the Figures 1and 2, thus providing upon the interengaged extended lf f ends of thecollars 3 and 4', complemental semispherical bearing surfaces.

With a view toward providing the collars 3 and 4 with means forinterconnecting the s same 1n a manner to prevent relative longitudinalmovement therebetween and at the same time, allow of pivotal movementbetween the inner engaged semispherical bearing surfaces of the parts 8and- 10, I lprovide the construction with a diametrically divided orsectional clamping ring or sleeve 11, curving said sleeve transverselyupon itself to cor! [D respond to the curvature of the outer peripheralsurface of thetransversely curved an- 'nular skirtlO, whereby withengagement of .the sections of the `clamping ring or sleeve thereover,the inne-r peripheral portion of said sleeve 11, which is insubstantially the same degree of curvature as the outer peripheralportion thereof, will be arranged in parallelism to the annular skirt10. Consequently, with the passing of connectin bolts or other suitablefastening devices 12 through the complementally arranged apertured ears13 carried uponthe opposite extremities of the diametrically dividedsections of the clamping rin or sleeve 11, said sections of the sleevewiIl be drawn inwardly with respect` to the outer peripheral surface ofthe annular skirt 10 but will be so arranged with respect to the same asto provideit with a fixed path for its pivotal movement over thesemispherical bearing surface of the enlared portion 8 of the collar I3.vAlso, an inwar ly disposed lip or shoulder 14 is formed upon one sideof the clamping ring or sleeve 11, o

that is, upon each of the sections thereof and because of this, it willbe understood that ,A with interconnection of the apertured ears 13 bymeans of the bolts or connecting devices 12, said shoulder will be movedinto xed or positive engagement with the adjacent peripheral portion ofthe collar, 3, thereby rigidly securing the clamping sletve with rrespect to this collar and allowing for thev pivotal or movablereception of the transversely-curved annular skirt 10 between it and thesemispherical bearing surface of the enlarged portion 8.

l At this point, itis to be noted that the arc of the transversecurvature of the sectional vclamping ring or sleeve 11 is such that itwill extend .over the semispherical or curved annular skirt 10 to'anextent as is shown infthe l tween the interengaged extremities or endsof the collars 3 and 4. Thus, it will be seen that the clamping ring orsleeve llserves a dual capacity, rst as a means for engaging the 6vtransversely. curved annular skirt 10 .of the Figures 1 and, hence,causing the said skirt gitudinal displacement or movement as be- Acollar 4 over the semi-spherical bearing surion 10.

That a liquid tight connection will be ef fected between theinterengaged portions of the'coll'ars 3 and 4, I reduce or inwardlybevel the outer extremity'of the'annular skirt 10, as is indicated bythe numeral 15, engaging a filled lead gasket 16 over an adjacentportion of the collar-3 and under the beveledv or ta-` pered portion 15of the skirt 10 while the opposite or outer portionof the gasket hasabutting engagement'with the shoulder 1'4. Thus, with clamping of thering or sleeve 11 about the inter-engaged parts 8 and l10, the filledlead gasket 1G willfbe subjected to presf sure resulting therefrom andin so doing,

will by reason of its flexible character, bejdistorted to such an extentas to ride snugly adjacent the contacting portions of the collar 4,

the shoulders 14, the clamping sleeve sectionsv 11 and the beveledportion 15 ofthe skirt'lO,

thus effecting a liquid tight jointure` as be-A tween such elements. s

. From the foregoing, it will be understood that I have provided a jointespecially advantageous for use in plastic conduits or culverts, theconstruction of which is such as will permit of its setting up ormakingb'y unskilled labor without in any way affecting the eiliciency ofthe same. gether with their parts 8 and 10 and the The collars 3 and 4toclamping ring or sleeve 11 may be formed of any suitable material,such as conditions o1' preference may dictate, such las cast metal,-steel, or the like.

Under certain conditions, it maybe. desirable to provide a protectivesheathing or coating of plastic material over the joint ef y fectedthrough the medium of the invention and in such instances, Vit is to beunderstood that such material will have a sulicient plasticity'as willallow for the relative movement between the interengaged portions 8andlO of the collars 3 and' 4. l

j Manifestly, the construction shownis capable of considerablemodification and such modification as is within the scope of/my claims,I consider within the spirit of-my invention.. v v

I claim:

1.\A conduitfcoupling comprising a pairof cooperating collarsl eachcarried by the adjacent ends of the conduit'sections to be` coupled, theend of one of saidv collars having its outer peripheral portion jformedwith a semi-spherical bearing surface, the end of the remaining collarbeing provided with an enlarged skirt having semi-spherical inner andouter surfaces, the inner semi-spherical surface of said skirt beingengaged over said semi-spherical bearing surface of the first mentionedcollar, and a rigid clamping sleeve concentric-with the outersemi-spheri-` cal surface of the skirt and engaged over the same, oneedge of said sleeve terminating short of the skirt and the other edge ofsaid sleeve snugly engaging the outer peripheral portion of the firstmentioned collar beyond the semi-spherical bearing surface thereof.

2. A conduit coupling comprising a pair of cooperating collars eachcarried'by the adjacent ends of the conduit sections to be coupled, theend of one of said collars having its outer peripheral portion formedwith a semispherical bearing surface,l the end of the remaining collarbeing provided with an enlarged skirt having semi-spherical inner andouter surfaces, the inner semi-spherical surface of said skirt beingengaged over said semi-spherical bearing surface of the first mentionedcollar and extending over the same, and a rigid clamping sleeveconcentric with the outer semi-spherical surface of the skirt andengaged over the same, one edge of said sleeve terminating short oftheskirt and the other edge of said sleeve having inwardly disposed annularshoulders snugly engaging the outer peripherical portion of the firstmentioned collar beyond the semi-spherical bearing surface of thelatter.

3. A conduit coupling comprising a pair of cooperating collars eachcarried bythe adjacent ends of the conduit sections to be coupled, theend of one of said collars having its outer peripheral portion formedwith a semi-spherical bearing surface, the end of the remaining collarbeing provided with an enlarged skirt having semi-spherical inner andouter surfaces, the inner semi-spherical surface of said skirt beingengaged over said semi-spherical bearing surface of the first mentionedcollar and extending over the same, a rigid clamping sleeve concentricwith the outer semi-spherical surface of the skirt and engaged over thesame, one edge of said sleeve terminating short of the skirt and theother edge of said sleeve having inwardly disposed annular shoulderssnugly engaging the outer peripheral portion of the first mentionedcollar beyond the semi-spherical bearing surface of the latter andspaced from the outer extremity of said skirt, and a packing gasketbetween the outer extermity of the skirt `and the inwardly 'disposedannularr .shoulders of the sleeve.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my.

hand. HARRY K. SWENEY.

